Kids at Halifax hospital stay in touch with school via computer

HALIFAX - Children at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax no longer have to miss classes - technology has brought their school work to their hospital beds.
The IWK launched the Child Life Interactive Computers for Kids program on Tuesday. The program allows patients to see and talk to their teachers and peers with a computer while they're in the hospital.
The IWK is the first hospital in the Atlantic provinces to adopt the program.
With the click of a mouse, patients can listen and participate in the day's lesson.
Austin Husbands, 9, tested out the virtual classroom, waving to all his friends at Sycamore Lane Elementary School in Lower Sackville, N.S., when they gave him a raucous hello.
"It's good because I can see my classmates and be with them," Austin said.
The eager student said he misses French class the most because he wants to learn Canada's other official language.
He'll be able to do that by booting up a laptop at the hospital, connecting to a wireless network and using a webcam to be a part of the class.
His mother, Jeannette Husbands, says the IWK is Austin's second home. Her son suffers from a rare disease that's resulted in 40 surgeries since his birth.
She said one of the hardest things is having Austin's school routine constantly disrupted. She's thrilled to see the program in action.
"This will keep Austin connected while he's here," she said. "It's an opportunity to stay up on what's going on in class."
The IWK teamed up with Microsoft Canada, Aliant and the Children's Miracle Network to make the program possible.
Microsoft contributed $400,000 to set the hospital up with the equipment and Aliant contributed $200,000 to provide Internet service.